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BBC News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
As E Dey Happen, Body of Late Mahammadu Buhari arrive Katsina airport
Life and times of former Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari 55 minutes wey don pass Life and times of former Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari Wia dis foto come from, Muhammadu Buhari Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari, wey die at di age 82 na one former military ruler and self-styled converted democrat wey return to power through elections but struggle to convince Nigerians say e fit deliver on di change e promise. E no be natural politician, pipo see am as pesin wey dey difficult and pesin wey no send anybody. But e get reputation for personal honesty – one rare character of a politician for Nigeria. Afta three failed attempts, Buhari bin achieve ogbonge historic victory for 2015, as e become di kontri first opposition candidate to defeat incumbent. For 2019, e dey re-elected for anoda four-year term. Buhari always dey popular among di poor pipo wey dey north (wey dey known as di "talakawa" for Hausa language) but for di 2015 campaign, e bin get di advantage of one united opposition wey tanda strong for im side.
BBC News
13-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Life and Times of Former Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari wey die for di age of 82
Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari, wey die at di age 82 na one former military ruler and self-styled converted democrat wey return to power through elections but struggle to convince Nigerians say e fit deliver on di change e promise. E no be natural politician, pipo see am as pesin wey dey difficult and pesin wey no send anybody. But e get reputation for personal honesty – one rare character of a politician for Nigeria. Afta three failed attempts, Buhari bin achieve ogbonge historic victory for 2015, as e become di kontri first opposition candidate to defeat incumbent. For 2019, e dey re-elected for anoda four-year term. Buhari bin always dey popular among di poor pipo wey dey north (wey dey known as di "talakawa" for Hausa language) but for di 2015 campaign, e bin get di advantage of one united opposition wey tanda strong for im side. Many of those wey support am bin reason say im military background and disciplinarian credentials na wetin di kontri need to handle di Islamist insurgency for di north. Buhari also bin promise to tackle corruption and nepotism for govment and create employment opportunities for young Nigerians. But im time for office bin happun di same time wen di prices of oil fall globally, and di time wen di kontri bin experience di worst economic crisis in decades. Im administration bin also come under fire sake of di way e take handle insecurity. While campaigning, e bin promise to defeat di Islamist militant group Boko Haram. But di group continue to be threat and one of dia factions now dey affiliated to di so-called Islamic State group. Di deadly clashes between farmers and ethnic Fulani herders for central Nigeria bin also rise well-well during im administration. Pipo accuse Oga Buhari, wey be Fulani, say e no dey tough enough on di herders and e no do enough to stop di crisis. Di activities of so-called bandits for di north-western part of di kontri bin see di abduction of hundreds of secondary school students. Under im watch, armed forces chop of human rights abuses - like opening fire on anti-police brutality protesters for di Lekki tollgate for Lagos for October 2020. Who be Muhammadu Buhari? Dem born Muhammadu Buhari for December 1942 for Daura for Katsina state for di far north of Nigeria, near di border wit Niger. At di time, na British dey control Nigeria, and e go be anoda 18 years bifor di kontri gain independence. Buhari father, wey die wen e be four, na Fulani, while im mother, wey raise am na Kanuri. For one 2012 interview, Buhari bin tok say im be im papa 23rd child and im mother 13th. E say im only recollection of im father na wen two of dem plus one of im half-brothers bin fall from di back of a horse. Di young Buhari attend primary school for Daura and then boarding school for di city of Katsina. Afta e comot school, dem admit am to di Nigerian Military Training College, e join di Nigerian army shortly afta independence. Buhari do officer training for UK from 1962-1963 and then begin im steady climb up di ranks. In later years, Buhari bin attribute im disciplinarian to di years wey e spend for boarding school, wia corporal punishment na normal tin, and for di military. E dey "lucky" to experience dat kain tough environments, wey teach am to work hard, e tok. For 1966, one military coup and then counter-coup happun for Nigeria - na time of confusion for army officers but Buhari bin always maintain say im be junior and no fit play any significant role for di coup. Less dan 10 years later, under one military government, Buhari don rise to become military govnor of di north-east, one area wey no pass six states then. Afta less dan one year, dem promote Buhari, now for im mid-30s again to federal commissioner for petroleum and natural resources (in effect oil minister) for 1976 under Olusegun Obasanjo for im first term as Nigerian head of state. Indiscipline and corruption By 1978, Buhari, then don become colonel, bin return to be military commander. Im tough stance in 1983 - wen Chadian sojas bin take ova some Nigerian islands for Lake Chad - still dey remembered for di north-east, afta e blockade di area and pursue di invaders. Di end of 1983 bin see anoda coup, against elected President Shehu Shagari, and Buhari, wey now be major-general, become di kontri military ruler. According to im own account, e no dey part of those wey plot di coup, but dem install am (and subsequently discarded) by those wey hold di real power and need figurehead. Oda accounts suggest say e play more active role in removing Shagari pass wetin e dey willing to admit. Buhari bin rule for 20 months, period pipo remember for campaign against indiscipline and corruption, as well as for human rights abuses. Dem jail about 500 politicians, officials and businessmen as part of one campaign against waste and corruption. Some see dis as heavy-handed repression of military rule. Odas remember am as a praiseworthy attempt to fight di endemic corruption wey dey hold back Nigeria development. Buhari retain one rare reputation for honesty among Nigeria politicians, both military and civilian, largely bicos of dis campaign. As part of im "war against indiscipline", e bin order Nigerians to form neat queues for bus stops, under di sharp eyes sojas wey carry cain. Civil servants wey resume late for work bin dey publicly humiliated as sojas force dem to do frog jumps. Some of im measures fit dey seen as merely eccentric. But odas bin dey genuinely oppressive, like one decree to restrict press freedom, under which dem jail journalists. Buhari government also lock up Nigeria greatest musical hero, Fela Kuti – wey be thorn for di side of successive leaders – fake charges wey relate to currency exports. Buhari attempt to re-balance di public finances by reducing imports bin lead to many job losses plus di closure of businesses. As part of im anti-corruption measures, e also order say make dem change di currency – dem change di colour of di naira notes – and force everybody wey get di old notes to exchange dem for banks within a limited period. Prices bin rise while living standards fall, and for August 1985, dem remove Buhari from office and imprison am for 40 months. Army chief Gen Ibrahim Babangida bin take ova. Historic election victory Afta dem release am and, e say, aft aim don see di consequences of di break-up of di Soviet Union, Buhari bin decide to join party politics, now convinced of di virtues of multiparty democracy and free and fair elections. Despite dis, Buhari dey always defend di 1983 coup, e tok for 2005: "Di military come in wen e dey absolutely necessary and di pipo wey dey elected fail di kontri." E also reject accusations say im measures against journalists plus odas bin go too far, e insist say im only dey apply di laws wey odas dey break. Dem elect am as president for 2015, e become di first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent since di return of multiparty democracy for 1999. As president, Buhari bin make a virtue of im "incorruptibility", as e declare im relatively modest wealth and e say e bin "reject several past opportunities" to enrich himself. By nature, e dey tok slowly, wey sometimes dey play well for for di media and sometimes badly. Although few pipo doubt im personal commitment to fighting corruption and plenty notable scalps dey ground. Some question weda di structures wey dey enable mismanagement bin dey really reformed. And attempts to improve youth employment prospects, at best, na work in progress. 'Bag of rice' On di day Buhari comot office, dem ask some Nigerians for one video wey bin go viral on social media, wetin dem go remember most about im time for office, and all respondents tok di same thing: 'Bag of rice'. Di reason dey simple - rice na di most common food for di kontri. A standard 50kg (110lb) bag of rice, wey fit help feed a household of between eight and 10 for about one month, cost just 7,500 naira ($5; £3) under President Goodluck Jonathan, wey Buhari defeat for 2015, but e go up to 60,000 naira few years afta. Dis bin lead to hunger for many parts of di kontri. Di huge increase for di price of rice na sake of say e ban di importation of rice to encourage more Nigerian farmers to grow di crop. However, local producers no fit meet di high demand and many of im supporters bin lost dia faith in him. Ismail Danyaro, one resident of di northern city of Kano, bin tok say im support Buhari since e first contest di presidency for 2003. "I dey buy 50kg bag of rice under Goodluck [Jonathan] but wen Buhari cme, I find am difficult to buy even 25kg bag of rice bicos e dey so expensive," e tell BBC. At one point, even Buhari wife bin threaten say she no go support im re-election bid. 'Baba go slow' Nigerians love nicknames and some of di kontri leaders nicknames bin stick even long afta e comot office. For example, Nigerians still dey call former military leader Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida "Maradona" for wetin pipo see as im tactical dribbles on issues and situations. For Buhari, na "Baba [Father] go slow" afta e take am six months to name im first cabinet afta e enta office for 2015. Reacting to im nickname years later, Buhari say no be im fault say e take so long to get anything done. "Yes, we dey slow bicos di system dey slow. No be Baba dey slow but na di system, so I dey go by dis system and I hope we go make am," e tok for 2018. Nigerian politics for 2022-2023 na still one of d most interesting for di kontri democratic history. For di minds of many, na di first time wey a sitting president wasn't ro go dey really bothered about who go be im successor. Openly, Buhari bin declare say im go support whoever win im party (All Progressives Congress) nomination but insiders say behind di scenes, e no wetin im dey do. Buhari body language bin show say e dey in support of all di five candidates wey dey find di APC endorsement. Dia supporters bin dey go round wit di tok say dem get im backing. At one point, e bin look like say Buhari oppose di candidacy of im eventual successor, Bola Tinubu. Wetin follow na di declaration of di "naira swap policy" wey di Buhari administration announce, plus oda tins, go reduce di influence of money for di 2023 elections. Many Nigerians believe say di policy bin dey targeted to stop Tinubu from becoming president even though na im dem choose as di APC candidate. Di policy bin involve di confiscation of trillions of old naira notes and dia replacement wit new notes for di highest denominations. However, plenty new notes no dey wey lead to shortages and suffering by millions, particularly di less privileged wey dey rely on cash for dia daily transactions. Dem only suspend di policy afta one Supreme Court ruling, just days bifor di election. Tinubu win narrowly, wit 37% of votes cast, as di opposition bin dey divided. Any assessment of Buhari presidency must take account im declining health, wey cause am to take significant absences from work, especially during im first term. Di former military ruler fit don reinvent himself as a democrat but commitment to transparency concerning im own health bin dey coded, as Nigerians no dey informed about di fitness of dia head of state for office. Muhammadu Buhari marry two times, first to Safinatu Yusuf from 1971-1988, and then for 1989 to Aisha Halilu, wey survive am. E get 10 children.
BBC News
13-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Former Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari dies aged 82
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, who has died age 82 in a London clinic, was a former military ruler and self-styled converted democrat who returned to power through elections but struggled to convince Nigerians he could deliver on the change he a natural politician, he was seen as aloof and austere. But he retained a reputation for personal honesty - a rare feat for a politician in three failed attempts, Buhari achieved a historic victory in 2015, becoming the country's first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent. In 2019, he was re-elected for another four-year had always been popular among the poor of the north (known as the "talakawa" in the Hausa language) but for the 2015 campaign, he had the advantage of a united opposition grouping behind of those who supported him thought his military background and disciplinarian credentials were what the country needed to get to grips with the Islamist insurgency in the north. Buhari also promised to tackle corruption and nepotism in government, and create employment opportunities for young his time in office coincided with a slump in global oil prices and the country's worst economic crisis in administration also came under fire for its handling of insecurity. While campaigning he had promised to defeat the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. But the group remains a threat and one of its factions is now affiliated to the so-called Islamic State was also an upsurge in deadly clashes between farmers and ethnic Fulani herders in central Nigeria. Mr Buhari, a Fulani, was accused of not being tough enough on the herders or doing enough to stop the activities of so-called bandits in the north-western part of the country saw the abduction of hundreds of secondary school his watch armed forces were accused of human rights abuses - like opening fire on anti-police brutality protesters at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos in October 2020. Who was Muhammadu Buhari? Muhammadu Buhari was born in December 1942 in Daura in Katsina state in the far north of Nigeria, near the border with Niger. At the time, Nigeria was controlled by the British and it would be another 18 years before the country gained father, who died when he was four, was Fulani, while his mother, who brought him up, was Kanuri. In a 2012 interview, Buhari spoke of being his father's 23rd child and his mother's 13th. He said his only recollection of his father was of the two of them and one of his half-brothers being thrown from the back of a horse. The young Buhari attended primary school in Daura and then boarding school in the city of Katsina. After leaving school, he was admitted to the Nigerian Military Training College, joining the Nigerian army shortly after undertook officer training in the UK from 1962-1963 and then began his steady climb up the later years, Buhari attributed his disciplinarian bent to spending his formative years at boarding school, where corporal punishment was the norm, and in the military. He was "lucky" to have experienced such tough environments, which taught him to work hard, he 1966, there was a military coup and then counter-coup in Nigeria - a time of upheaval for army officers but Buhari always maintained he was too junior to have played any significant than 10 years later, under a military government, Buhari had risen to become military governor of the north-east, an area then comprising six less than a year, Buhari, now in his mid-30s, was promoted again, becoming federal commissioner for petroleum and natural resources (in effect oil minister) in 1976 under Olusegun Obasanjo in his first spell as Nigerian head of state. Indiscipline and corruption By 1978, Buhari, then a colonel, had returned to being a military commander. His tough stance in 1983 - when some Nigerian islands were annexed in Lake Chad by Chadian soldiers - is still remembered in the north-east, after he blockaded the area and drove off the end of 1983 saw another coup, against elected President Shehu Shagari, and Buhari, now a major-general, became the country's military ruler. By his own account, he was not one of the plotters but was installed (and subsequently discarded) by those who held the real power and needed a accounts suggest he played a more active role in removing Shagari than he was willing to admit. Buhari ruled for 20 months, a period remembered for a campaign against indiscipline and corruption, as well as for human rights 500 politicians, officials and businessmen were jailed as part of a campaign against waste and saw this as the heavy-handed repression of military rule. Others remember it as a praiseworthy attempt to fight the endemic corruption that was holding back Nigeria's retained a rare reputation for honesty among Nigeria's politicians, both military and civilian, largely because of this campaign. As part of his "war against indiscipline", he ordered Nigerians to form neat queues at bus stops, under the sharp eyes of whip-wielding soldiers. Civil servants who were late for work were publicly humiliated by being forced to do frog of his measures might have been seen as merely eccentric. But others were genuinely repressive, such as a decree to restrict press freedom, under which journalists were government also locked up Nigeria's greatest musical hero, Fela Kuti - a thorn in the side of successive leaders - on trumped-up charges relating to currency exports. Buhari's attempts to re-balance the public finances by curbing imports led to many job losses and the closure of part of anti-corruption measures, he also ordered that the currency be replaced - the colour of the naira notes was changed - forcing all holders of old notes to exchange them at banks within a limited rose while living standards fell, and in August 1985 Buhari was ousted and imprisoned for 40 months. Army chief Gen Ibrahim Babangida took over. Historic election victory After his release and, he said, having seen the consequences of the break-up of the Soviet Union, Buhari decided to enter party politics, now convinced of the virtues of multiparty democracy and free and fair this, Buhari always defended the 1983 coup, saying in 2005: "The military came in when it was absolutely necessary and the elected people had failed the country."He also rejected accusations that his measures against journalists and others had gone too far, insisting that he had been merely applying the laws that others had been breaking. He was elected president in 2015, becoming the first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent since the return of multiparty democracy in president, Buhari made a virtue of his "incorruptibility", declaring his relatively modest wealth and saying he had "spurned several past opportunities" to enrich was plain spoken by nature, which sometimes played well for him in the media and sometimes few doubted his personal commitment to fighting corruption and there were several notable scalps, some questioned whether the structures enabling mismanagement had really been reformed. And attempts to improve youth employment prospects were, at best, a work in progress. 'Bag of rice' On the day Buhari left office, some Nigerians were asked in a video that was widely shared on social media, what they would remember most about his time in office, and all respondents said the same thing: 'Bag of rice'.The reason was simple - rice is the staple food in the country.A standard 50kg (110lb) bag of rice, which could help feed a household of between eight and 10 for about a month, cost just 7,500 naira ($5; £3) under President Goodluck Jonathan, who was defeated by Buhari in 2015, but went up to 60,000 naira a few years led to hunger in many parts of the huge surge in the price of rice was because, in an echo of his earlier policy as a military ruler, Buhari banned the importation of rice to encourage more Nigerian farmers to grow the local producers were unable to meet the high demand and many of his supporters lost their faith in Danyaro, a resident of the northern city of Kano, said he had backed Buhari since he first contested the presidency in 2003."I used to buy a 50kg bag of rice under Goodluck [Jonathan] but when Buhari came, I found it difficult to buy even a 25kg bag of rice because it became so expensive," he told the one point, even Buhari's wife threatened not to support his re-election bid. 'Baba go slow' Nigerians love nicknames and some of the country's leaders' nicknames have stuck even long after they left example, former military leader Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida is still called "Maradona" for what people perceived as his tactical dribbles on issues and Buhari, it was "Baba [Father] go slow" after it took him six months to name his first cabinet on assuming office in to his nickname years later, Buhari said it wasn't his fault that it took so long to get anything done."Yes, we are slow because the system is slow. It's not Baba that is slow but it is the system so I am going by this system and I hope we will make it," he said in 2018. Nigerian politics in 2022-2023 remains one of the most interesting in the country's democratic the minds of many, it was the first time that a sitting president wasn't really bothered about who his successor was going to Buhari declared he would support whoever won his party's (All Progressives Congress) nomination but insiders say behind the scenes he was body language emboldened all five candidates seeking the APC's endorsement and their supporters all went around saying they had his one point it felt as if Buhari opposed the candidacy of his eventual successor, Bola followed was the declaration of the "naira swap policy" which the Buhari administration announced would, among other things, limit the influence of money in the 2023 Nigerians believed that the policy was targeted at preventing Tinubu from becoming president even though he had been chosen as the APC policy involved the confiscation of trillions of old naira notes and their replacement with new notes for the highest there were not enough new notes, leading to shortages and suffering by millions, particularly the less well-off, who rely on cash for their daily policy was only suspended after a Supreme Court ruling, just days before the won narrowly, with 37% of votes cast, as the opposition was assessment of Buhari's presidency must take account his declining health, which caused him to take significant absences from work, especially during his first former military ruler may have reinvented himself as a democrat but there was no such commitment to transparency concerning his own health, with Nigerians left uninformed about the fitness of their head of state for Buhari married twice, first to Safinatu Yusuf from 1971-1988, and then in 1989 to Aisha Halilu, who survives him. He had 10 children. Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
